COLORADO bring your catch in. Heading out with an outfitter gives you the perfect taste of this specialized activity. A guided excursion with ArkAnglers in Salida or Buena Vista will have you creating graceful arcs with your line in no time. Their team of seasoned anglers offers full-and half-day fly-fishing trips, including a Fishing 101 course that’s great for those dipping their first wader-covered toe in the water. Fast, fun rapids. Unparalleled scenery. Abundant wildlife. While not for the faint of heart, multiday rafting tours are a once-in-a-lifetime Western experience. You’ll form deep bonds with your raft companions and never have to worry about setting up camp, preparing meals or keeping yourself safe thanks to the knowledgeable and seasoned guides that are integral to making these trips successful. Two of the most popular tours with Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Tours — the Yampa River and Gates of Lodore trips — take place in and around Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado’s northwest corner. The area’s rapids wind paddlers through quartzite cliffs, dramatic alcoves and Fremont Culture petroglyphs carved in cliffs that frame the river. These trips also allow you the opportunity to get out of the water and explore the area on foot while the expert guides set up your living space each night, as well as prepare satiating three-course meals for breakfast and dinner, as well as casual, picnic-style lunches. Ready for a land-based excursion, but don’t love a calf-burning climb? Leave the hiking to someone else and increase the heart-pounding-adventure factor by traversing Colorado’s rugged backcountry on an ATV or UTV tour. Both exhilarating and educational, excursions offer a well-rounded journey you’ll remember for the rest of your life. San Juan Backcountry in Silverton offers three-night guided tours through some of the nation’s most remote and beautiful landscapes, where you’ll pass cascading waterfalls, wildflowers galore, fascinating ghost towns, century-Dinosaur National Monument ERIC WUNROW Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument COLORADO . COM 129
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2024: Page 129
